Lack of markets concern fish farmers

FISH farmers in Laiagam, Enga, are concerned that there are no proper markets to sell their fresh water fish.
Lagaip Inland Fish Farming project coordinator Tony Sulupin said there were about 100 fish farmers in Laiagam alone with more than 500 fish ponds.
Sulupin said the farmers’ biggest challenge was selling their fish at a market.
He said farmers in the district had started building ponds after the National Fisheries Authority (NFA) rolled out its inland fish farming programme in the province in 2012.
“I want to call on one of our own MPs, Member for Wabag and Minister for Fisheries and Marine Resources Dr Lino Tom, to help find markets and assist our farmers in the district,” he said.
Sulupin said more people in the district were getting into farming fish but the lack of a market was the problem as it was making it hard from them to sell their fish.
Ps Iki Nathaniel, from Tambus village, who owns 22 ponds and breeds his own fingerlings, said he went into fish farming in 2013.
Nathaniel has about 2,000 fish in his ponds and produced good sized fish, mostly golden carp and tilapia weighing 4kg to 5kg.